The lanzhou beef noodles were not too bad. The triangular noodles were quite special and definitely…read morecontributed to the QQ texture of the noodles. The broth was rather salty though, and the beef was a little bit too tough for my liking. We also got the scallion onion oil with shrimp noodles. That was a bit more bland and boring. There was a lot of noodle, but not much to spice it up and make it interesting. The chilly oil definitely helped. Staff is very helpful, and water and cutlery self serve. The window has a serious polarization as well, so it looks dark at an angle. Definitely stand in front to make sure that it's open

As a huge fan of lanzhou hand pulled noodles, I couldn't resist the urge to try this cozy noodle…read moreshop during my visit to Helsinki. We went around 6 on a Saturday evening and got seated immediately. The service was pretty efficient - I went up to the cashier to place my order and pay, and the food was delivered to the table within 10 minutes. The menu features both soup and dry noodle dishes, most of which are customizable with choice of protein and noodle style (shape / thickness). My partner and I got the beef Lanzhou ramen (signature dish) and spring onion oil noodle with prawn to share, selecting the triangular noodles for both. Although they were a bit on the saltier side, both noodle dishes were quite tasty and authentic. I enjoyed the bouncy texture of the noodles and the generous portion sizes. For the spring onion oil noodles, I would've appreciated a tad bit more shrimp and vegetables and a more pungent scallion oil aroma - I felt it mainly tasted like soy sauce. I added a spoonful of the chili oil to the scallion noodles, which definitely elevated the flavor and offered the perfect level of spice. Would definitely recommend checking this place out if you're in the area and are craving a warm, delicious bowl of noodles!

The place was a little hard to find at night but once we did, we were set for the evening. Within…read moreminutes of placing our orders, our ramen came out steaming and ready to be eaten. I've had a lot of good ramen in my life and this was no exception. Hearty umami broth with noodles cooked perfectly al dente, they were the perfect complement to delicious pork cheeks. I couldn't finish my bowl because of how generous the serving was, but I left with a full tummy and memories that will tide me over till the next time I could have another bowl of this delicious ramen.

Helsinki is a long way from San Francisco to try a bowl of ramen. However, Jamie W. and I were…read moreabout a week into our Nordic adventure, and a hankering came to the surface when we saw this spot in the atmospheric building housing the Hietalahti Market Hall. The modern pop logo and young staff made me think we were in a hipster haven focused on the the novelty of the almighty noodle rather than any effort toward authenticity. That's probably an overstatement, but I will assert that they fell short when it came to the rich flavor a ramen-head like me expects no matter what country I'm visiting. The menu is actually a blend of Japanese and Korean as they offered kimchi and six bo ssäm dishes as well as six ramen bowls. Shockingly, they were not ready to serve their tonkotsu broth which eliminated two of the choices including their namesake bowl which featured pork belly. a much weaker chicken broth was used for two of their bowls, the Oxtail and the one I ordered, the 12 € Peking Duck which featured a duck fillet drizzled with teriyaki sauce and a pickled egg (photo: http://bit.ly/24CUsf8). The noodles had flecks of buckwheat that made them chewier than I preferred without the much desired toothsome quality. Jamie tried the 11 € Spicy Garlic which would have normally been bathing in tonkotsu but instead was in the same chicken broth that was used in mine. His bowl had pork belly, fried onions, bean sprouts, and sriracha sauce, but it was also on the middling side with the portion looking even smaller than mine (photo: http://bit.ly/1q4ZoKc). Our disappointment didn't appear to be shared by the locals sitting at the other tables where slurping was on the quiet side. Alas, I still give the purveyors credit for making an attempt at something as specialized as ramen in a country that has far more Nepali restaurants than ramen houses. And what's that about? FOOD - 3 stars...middling ramen that puts the hell in Helsinki AMBIANCE - 3 stars...one of several kiosks in an eclectic market hall SERVICE - 3.5 stars...they tried TOTAL - 3 stars...guess it's back to the pickled herring

I'm really pleased with this place - the food and drinks are fresh, and the prices are fairly…read morereasonable (a little bit pricier than average, but well within the affordable range). It's got a fun, vibrant atmosphere and a relaxed crowd. I first read about it on a blog and thought, "with a name like that, it has to be a fun place!" I got excited while browsing the menu and opted for the ramen of the day (Tom Yam) with vegan broth. I'm not a vegan, and I've never tried vegan ramen before, but I decided to give it a shot and was not at all disappointed! The broth was thin, as ramen broth should be, but tomato-based, which gave it a sweet flavour. There was coriander and sesame as well which added to the flavour, and some light spice to add a bit of zest. The Niko juice was fresh and tasty, the cucumber dominating the taste, and it felt super healthy and light. I noticed that Why Join also has a drinks menu for the alcohol-inclined, and boasts late hours with dj music. I'd definitely recommend dropping by to give this place a go!

I have booked a table via venue's own web-site. After I arrived to the location on time, I saw that…read morethe place was reserved for the private event. Stuff member ignored me. After I walked to him and said that I have a table booked for today he just shrugged his shoulders. And informed me that the booking system I used was a bad system. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement. The company has chosen a bad system for handling the bookings. The stuff member is not even trying to look sorry for what has happened. It means zero respect to the customers. Mistakes happen but they can be handled in much more gracious way.

Best chicken and salmon salad in Töölö! Excellent service, tasteful food and nice atmosphere. Great…read morevalue for money, especially lunchtime! Sushi is also really good.

From the owner: Daruma started with a simple idea: food should make you happy. For us, Asian cuisine has always…read morebeen more than recipes — it’s a way of sharing culture, passion, and memories. We draw inspiration from the lively street markets of Vietnam, honor & respect for ingredients of Japan and sizzling energy of Korea. Every dish should feel honest, soulful, and made with care. At Daruma Kitchen, every roll and plate is handmade and homestyle. We use fresh, good ingredients and cook the way it’s done at home — with time and many small steps that build layers of flavor and a natural balance. Our menu brings together the flavors of Asia — bold spices, long-simmered broths, tangy pickles, and fresh local produce — creating comforting, nourishing, and simply good food. There’s always suiting the season and your mood — warm bowls for cold days, a fresh salad to brighten the summer, or a flavorful bento for busy days.

Better than some ramen places in the States. But also, not as good as some places. It's basically a…read more"good ramen quickly" sort of place... but I guess all ramen technically is? I came here with the intent of getting take-away. Then I thought, the inside is nice, maybe I can just sit... but I wanted take-away, because I was on a roll with my writing and couldn't interrupt that process. I love the fact they will separate the broth from the ingredients if you do take-away. The cutlery (namely the spoon) isn't great for ramen, but you take away what you can get when you get take away. The spicy one isn't very spicy to my palette, but the flavor was good. Didn't love everything in the bowl, but overall I thought it was pretty good and I would likely eat here again.

After spending some time in Lapland it was time for a different flavor. Mimi did the trick and the…read morevegan options were also very delicious.

You order at the counter and find a table. They'll give you a buzzer to notify you when your order…read moreis ready. The udon was an overpriced bowl of noodles with two cold shrimp, some corn, mushrooms, seaweed, bamboo shoots and scallions.

Love the ramen!!! A quick and easy place that is delicious! Ramen is very tastey and traditionalread more

This is my go-to lunch restaurant, I've eaten here several dozen times. Very nice change from the…read moreusual sushi-"japanese". They offer ramen noodles or rice-bed dishes. From the lunch list I recommend Katsudon, which is pork on ricebed. From a la carte Yaki Udon is good, with your choice of meat or tofu. The noodle soups are good aswell, get the chili tonkotsu if you want them. In my taste the noodles are bit too.. soupy..

Finally we're starting to see Japanese places in Helsinki that consider Japanese food to be more…read morethan just sushi. Had nice and affordable miso with vegetarian udon (they serve with tofu upon request). Would definitely visit again.

I decided to try Hoku at the recommendation of our AirBnB host and Yelp. 40 reviews on…read moreYelp...that's impressive for Finland! This place lives up to the hype. Since it is located on the 5th floor of Kamppi Square and has floor to ceiling windows, the views are reeeeal nice. The boyfriend and I came for lunch at 11:30am on a Friday and were seated without a reservation after we placed our order and paid at the counter. I tried the Kalua Pork & Tiger Prawns (14€) while the boyfriend went with the Salmon Teriyaki (15€) after reading the glowing reviews on here. The Kalua Pork dish was super tasty and had more broth than I was expecting; I was glad it came with a bowl of rice. The salmon was SO moist with a teriyaki sauce that wasn't too overbearing! Needless to say we finished both our dishes without a bite to spare. The portions are medium-sized. If you come starving, it may not be enough to make you feel 100% satiated. However, the sophisticated atmosphere and unique & flavorful dishes made Hoku a great experience.

Hoku is really small place, but their portion are really H-u-g-e and lunch-time the place is always…read morefull. Salmon Teriyaki with potato-salad as japanese-style.. yes please! On dinner-time you have to make a reservation if you are coming with big groupie or 2 people. For 1 person... Sometimes there is window-place for walk-in people, so just try your luck if there is the place for you. Their Dinner-menu is sort and not so long. The price are ok. Must try Hoku's Chicken Katsu!